Two city child care centres are opposed

WHILE some Gladstone parents remain on waiting lists to get their children into childcare centres, ABC Learning Centres are objecting to the construction of two new centres in the city.

Council approved the construction of a childcare centre in Harvey Road and Breslin Street in June.

In August ABC Learning Centres, who operate two centres in Gladstone, appealed council's decision through the Planning and Environment Court in Brisbane.

Construction of the centres cannot take place until the court matter is settled.

Court documents obtained by The Observer revealed one of the grounds on which ABC appealed the approval was that the applicants had "failed to show there is need for the proposed child care centre''.

The documents also said "the surrounding area is already well catered for with respect to child care centres and does not require any extension of this number''.

Rainbow Valley Early Learning Centre director Mrs Marion Hayes said while their child care centre still had a waiting list, there were some vacancies in other centres.

But Mrs Hayes said increased competition should not be used as a reason to refuse the establishment of more centres in the city. "A centre does have to have 85 per cent occupancy to break even,'' Mrs Hayes said.